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Note that in Texas, the "County Judge" is the head of the commissioners court, which is the legislative portion of county government. So you can think of this guy as the top guy in the executive arm of county government.

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"Life in Lubbock, Texas, taught me two things: One is that God loves you and you're going to burn in hell. The other is that sex is the most awful, filthy thing on earth and you should save it for someone you love." - Butch Hancock, Musician, The Flatlanders

I was annoyed that CNN had this story as a headline. A county judge in Texas has a crack pot opinion and that is national news? Have you noticed how CNN has an increasing number of videos of cute animals? I love videos of cute animals but on YouTube, not national news. All the news networks reek of desperation.

The Today Show website often has all the fluff stories featured-- losing weight, looking younger, etc. You have to search for more important stories usually. I suppose they've done research on the stories that bring people to the site. I am glad on the show they do hard news for the first 30 minutes. Usually. They have been known to do Lohan type stories in the first half hour. Leave those to Kathy and Hoda, IMHO.

And I thought that Waco was going to hold the all-time crackpot status forever. I understand why my sister moved there in the first place, years ago, but it's time for her and Mom to bring the family back to Central Texas. At least we have hills to hide in here.

Thats a great monologue. Could you imagine a Presidential candidate giving a speech explaining how "the 'founding fathers' were slave owners who wanted to be free." And all that stuff about enslaving the africans, and stealing everything and killing the native Americans. People would have heart attacks if that speech came out of a politician's mouth.

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“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need” 1875 K Marx

During a trip to Epcot at Disneyworld, Pennsylvania delegate Mark Harris and his wife were shocked and offended to find a Mexican employee working at the amusement park’s American pavilion, which showcases the different cultures in the United States. According to the couple’s blog, Harris complained to staff that he was “highly offended” that a “person from Mexico” was working in the American pavilion when other nations’ pavilions were staffed by people from each respective country:

The local GOP in Snyder County, Pennsylvania has rushed to disavow Harris’ overtly racist comments. County Commissioner Malcolm Derk told The Daily Item, “Americans are people of any race, color or heritage. Cheers to the individual working at Epcot for showing what a true American looks like.”

According to their website, “Mark and Irene are both pro‐life, believe marriage is between one man and one woman, are for open records and transparency, believe in very conservative principles and the Republican platform.”

The RNC has been marred by racist incidents this week; on Tuesday, two delegates had to be escorted out after throwing peanuts at a black camerawoman and called her an “animal.” Harris told the AP at the beginning of the convention that he liked how Romney was “hitting all the conservative bells” and “has the potential to be a great president if he keeps going in that direction.”

2) Do the "World Showcase pavilions" really have only 100% staff from the country that is simulated? Really? Mopping the floors and changing the fryer grease trap and taking out the garbage? Or just a few sprinkled in as "cultural representatives"? I would guess the latter, and most of the employees of all these pavilions are US living service employees.

So I'm understanding that these dimwits the Harris's don't even understand what a simulation is?

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“From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need” 1875 K Marx

Since the American pavilion “showcases different cultures in the United States” I don't think it matters. Harris had this to say after the shit hit the fan:

Mark Harris contacted The Daily Item after hearing Valley residents were offended by the statements.

“This is getting taken out of context,” he said. “What we said is that in Epcot we saw a man that had a name tag that said ’Eddie, from Mexico,’ and we felt that in the America section of the park, there should have been Americans.

Unfortunately Harris didn't say in his blog having "Eddie from Mexico" in the American pavilion was thematically inaccurate (which it isn't), he said he was "offended"... oops, sorry "highly offended." Quite a sloppy backpeddle for a politician.

2) Do the "World Showcase pavilions" really have only 100% staff from the country that is simulated? Really? Mopping the floors and changing the fryer grease trap and taking out the garbage? Or just a few sprinkled in as "cultural representatives"? I would guess the latter, and most of the employees of all these pavilions are US living service employees.

From Wikipedia: "Each of these (pavilions) contains representative shops and restaurants and is staffed by citizens of these countries, as part of the Cultural Representative Program. Some also contain rides and shows. The only pavilion that is sponsored by the country it represents is Morocco. The remaining country pavilions are all sponsored by private companies."

I don't think there will be a Civil War, or anything close to that, like there was in the 1860s, regardless of who wins. Mainly because this is a totally different country today than 140 years ago. Sure, people have the issues they care about and are passionate about, but due to technology and the pressures of people's every lives, people are too wrapped up in their own individual lives to assemble en masse for anything like a new Civil War. In short, most people today are too insular and wrapped up in their mundane everyday affairs. Sure, the country is divided today politically, but there is no desire at the national level of either party to secede from the Union. Personally, I am a registered democrat and I voted for Obama in 2008, but I see myself as more of an independent. I greatly support what the president has done for equality and on social issues. And I do not regard the current Republican Party in any high regard at all. They are just to far out of the mainstream. But I don't think Obama has what it takes to bring the country together around great causes like FDR did.

Part of the problem I would argue with our society today, aside from idiotic extremists, is the constant bombardment of the media, at every direction. There is so much damn chatter and noise, from every angle, it's like the media think people can't think for themselves. I would argue the rise of the rabid, slick-talking 24-hour media in the last 20 years has done as much to accentuate the divisions people see in each other as anything else. Sure, there's always been divisions and disagreements, but the 24 hour news cycle constantly bangs people in the head with how people differ instead of how people are alike.

I think in a perfect world if we went back to a simpler world of 3 network channels, that simply reported the news of the day impartially, then the world would be a better and less noisy place. Of course, even with all the noise today, people have to have enough sense to turn the tv off and think for themselves.

So no, I don't think there will be a Civil War anytime soon, but I think the divisiveness and inability to get anything major done legislatively will continue..I predict if Obama wins, he won't get anything done, because the current GOP won't work with him...And if, as seems more likely, Romney wins, he won't accomplish much but extremist legislation to pander to the far right that have hijacked the Republican Party. Bottom line, we need NEW leadership! Politicians need to stay the hell out of people's bedrooms and focus on the issues that matter, like the economy and jobs. Period.